Laila Ali Gives Definitive 2-Word Answer To Claressa Shields' Fight Callout

Women's pound-for-pound great and undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields (17-0, 3 KOs) has been calling out the legendary Laila Ali (24-0, 21 KOs) for years now.

Despite the fact that Ali is 17 years older than her and hasn't fought in a professional bout since 2007, Shields has been beckoning for her to return to the ring, and said some questionable things about Ali in hopes of provoking her to fight.

And these callouts have reached new heights in 2025. After Ali said that she would consider fighting Shields if she was offered $15-20 million, Shields showed up with a gigantic $15 million check that was addressed to Ali by name.

This didn't convince Ali to accept a fight against Shields. And this seems to have frustrated the "GWOAT", because she has gone on several talk shows and done various interviews over the past couple of months disparaging Ali's name and making several scathing claims to diminish her accomplishments in the sport.

Claressa Shields speaks to media during the final press conference on May 31, 2023. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

These callouts finally reached a breakout point for Ali, which she conveyed by putting Shields on blast during an October 16 video on her YouTube channel.

At one point in the nearly 30-minute video, Ali mentioned that she had praised Shields and given her her flowers in the past before saying, "Of course, at the time, I was not aware of [Shields'] divisive, vindictive, and malicious nature. And I know those are strong words, but they actually fit."

Ali ended that aforementioned video saying that she would release a part two in the coming weeks that would address whether she intends to accept Shields' callout once and for all.

Laila Ali Sets Record Straight on Claressa Shields Fight Callout

That video was released on October 30. And Ali did indeed address whether she would be fighting Shields.

"So, did her plan work? Did she make me mad enough to come out of retirement after 18 years and start training again, to make her dream of fighting me, and having a big payday, courtesy of Laila Ali, come true? Absolutely not," Ali said.

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"After years of blatant lies and vile disrespect, making unsolicited negative remarks about me, questioning the legitimacy of my boxing legacy, and having the audacity to cross the line by disrespecting my deceased father," she continued.

"[Shields] will not be rewarded with the opportunity to share the ring with me, or anything else. There's your answer."

So there you have it. Ali saying, "Absolutely not," is all fans need to hear when wondering whether this fight might ever happen.

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